Words, Words, Words, Words

So, we're planning one family day trip while in England, and we were originally going to go to Bath, but the train tickets are a wee bit expensive, so we're exploring our options, and naturally I turn to you, my LJ friends, to help make the decision.

[Poll #1856059]

I'm leaning toward Stonehenge myself. It's been on my bucket list for awhile. What do you think?

Yesterday I was talking to my company's travel agent, and, just to torture myself, asked about packages to the UK.

The nice lady looked into it and found a deal that includes a 6 night stay (6th night free) in a 3 star hotel in Kensington and round trip airfare for Charlie and me for $2,842. And it includes an English breakfast.

That's pretty darn good.

Still it is money I know I shouldn't spend.

But I didn't tell her no yet.

I said I had to think about it.

I am pathetic y/y?

Okay, so this nice lad from Manchester pointed me in the direction of a hostel in London that is only $50 USD per night for a private twin room. They have free breakfast and cheap meals, too. Wow, thinks I, I could do that!

Emboldened, I looked up the prices of the plays I'd like to take Charlie too while there, namely Oliver and Hamlet*.

Bloody tickets are somewhere around £66.00 each, so that would be, well, quite a big hunk of American money. It's practically the same price as 5 nights in the hostel.

Right, I think. Soldier on. We can just do one play then. But which one? Charlie really loves the songs from Oliver, and Rowan Atkinson is in it, as is Burn Gorman, but I'd much rather see Hamlet, as, Tennant and Stewart aside, it is something I enjoy more than people singing cheery songs about child abuse. And Hamlet is more educational.

I did find a Panto in Essex that is only £16.50, and the whole point of going in December is to see a Panto, so that was cheery.

At any rate, this trip would still cost me about $2,000, (unless airfare gets really cheap sometime in the future) which is, well, money I shouldn't really spend, and upon thinking that I came heavily back to earth, rather like that bit in Mary Poppins when they have to think of something sad to come off the ceiling after the tea party.



*And yes, could they BE any more opposite?

Charlie's new career goal is to be the 11th Doctor.

I pointed out that the Doctor tends to be played by an British actor, and said maybe he could be a companion, but he wants no part of that. "You could be a companion," he tells me.

He wanted to go to London to do so, until I pointed out they film it in Cardiff. Now he wants to go there.

Yes, he is his mother's son through and through.

I'm kind of pleased, because I would really love to take him to the UK, and, at least for now, it is something HE would enjoy almost as much as I. (Someday soon, please Universe)

I wish I could take him there this December. He'd love to see Oliver live, and, as much as I don't like that play, I'd suffer through it for his sake. And to see Rowan Atkinson.

And then we could go see a Panto, which is something I always wanted to do, and we could go to Cardiff to see the Doctor Who museum, and go to Stratford so he could see Shakespeare's birthplace.

Sigh...I'm dreaming again. Anyone want to contribute to the "Get Charliesmum and Charlie to England" fund? :)

Someone just told me that from July '08 to November '08 The RSC is doing Hamlet. And it is starring Patrick Stewart and David Tennant.

As part of my raging Anglophilia, I have a beach towel that looks like the Union Flag. I've had it for several years now, it is a prized possession. No one ever commented on it though.

So imagine my surprise when this man comes up to me today and says, "You're sitting on my flag! You're not Irish are you?"

I explained my raging Alglophilia, so he forgave me for sitting on the flag, and we got to chatting. Nice bloke, from the Midlands.I had a good time indulging my inner English woman. We talked about the Queen, as one does, and talked about the St. George Cross being the actual English flag, and that the Union Jack is only a Union Jack when flown at sea. (Thanks, Rose)

We also talked telly a bit, since that's one thing I'm relatively up to date on. One thing I love is that all Britons have fond memories of hiding behind their sofa when watching Doctor Who as a child. I told him I taught Charlie to say "I'm 'avin' 'oops", because of Life on Mars.

Considering the mood I've been in, it was a nice interlude.